Paul Poon, racing for Teamwork Motorsport, claimed two victories in the 2023 Macau Touring Car Series (MTCS) Round 1 held at the Guangdong International Circuit (GIC) on 22-23 July. The event served as a qualifying race for the 70th Macau Grand Prix.
Qualify
Qualifying took place on Saturday afternoon amid extreme heat, which put the teams, cars, tyres, and drivers under strenuous test. This was further compounded by the official Pirelli tyres being new to Poon. Despite the challenging conditions, Poon made multiple attempts with different setups and eventually set his best lap of 1’23″712. This secured his second overall position, placing him on the first row of the starting grid.
Race 1
Sunday morning saw the start of Race 1, where Poon’s Lynk & Co 03 TCR quickly took the lead from the rival Hyundai. However, the Hyundai regained the lead a few corners later, but the safety car was soon brought out due to a stopped race car on the track. After the safety car restart, Poon attacked in turn 1 and regained the lead, which he held onto until the end of the race. Poon crossed the finish line with over four seconds gap, securing his first victory of the weekend.
Race 2
In Race 2, Poon started in P1 after winning Race 1 earlier in the day. His Lynk & Co 03 TCR quickly pulled ahead, but the safety car interrupted the race once again, erasing the advantage Poon had gained. However, he faced little pressure after the safety car restart and successfully converted his pole to win.
The completion of MTCS Round 1 sets the stage for Round 2, which will also be held at the Guangdong International Circuit from 19-20 August.
